Combining bees in the fall: goals and rules, 5 ways and possible problems

Many beekeepers are forced to deal with the union of bees in the fall. This procedure is considered habitual and inevitable in almost every apiary. Usually, by the end of summer, one or more weak colonies remain that will not survive the winter. In such a situation, there is a need for family reunification. This helps to increase productivity during honey harvest. This procedure can be carried out in different ways.

Goals of association

From the beginning of spring to the arrival of autumn, beekeepers monitor the state of the apiary. If the bee family survived the winter and at the same time there are at least 6 frames and brood in the colony, we are talking about a composition of medium strength.Thanks to the presence of a reproductive queen, the swarm will be able to get stronger. In addition, its composition will increase. As a result, a strong family will go for the winter.

At the same time, weak bee colonies will not have time to grow a sufficient number of young individuals by the arrival of autumn, which will be able to successfully survive the winter. If the bees stop taking bribes in favor of heating the children, the queen bee will stop laying. At the same time, worker bees will begin to collect honey. In such a situation, by the end of autumn there will be a lot of product, and few insects. Such a family will not be able to survive the winter.

Thus, the main task of the autumn family reunification is to increase their numbers. To strengthen the nest, you need to combine several weak compositions into one. This will help increase productivity during the honey harvest period. Such an apiary will become profitable and will bring income to the beekeeper.

If the farm has a queenless bee family, it must be combined with a full-fledged colony.If there are no queen cells on the brood or the young queen appeared too late and could not be fertilized by the beginning of September, the honey collection stops. If measures are not taken in time, such a family will not be able to survive the winter.

Necessary conditions and terms

The timing of the merger depends on the reason for this procedure. If its goal is to create a family for a good bribe, it is required to connect the colonies before the main honey collection. In order for the bees to easily survive the winter, it is recommended to unite families in September.

The expediency of this procedure is determined by analyzing the state of the colony. Promising bee colonies correspond to the following features:

• no symptoms of infections;
• there is a fertilized uterus that has excellent egg-laying abilities;
• the amount of sealed honey is in line with the regulations;
• there are enough bees.

If one or more problems were identified during the examination, families need to be corrected. Otherwise, the probability of death of the colonies in winter is high. Even if this does not happen, the swarm will be incapacitated in the spring.

Possible ways

There are quite a few methods for combining bee colonies. This allows each beekeeper to choose the most suitable option for himself. At the same time, it is important to do this procedure in good weather, when the drones fly away for nectar.

With top dressing

To combine bee colonies in this way, it is important to carry out preparatory work. On a weak club, you need to place honeycombs with honey.They should be filled to a third or half. After a couple of weeks, top dressing needs to be done again. This will help make the insects less aggressive. A total of 2-3 top dressings are performed.

Then you need to analyze the condition of a strong family and check for the presence of a uterus. After that, a strong honeycomb must be sent to a fed hive. Colonial bonding is usually successful if several frames of strong bees are transferred to weak bees. Insects adapt to smell.

Through the partition

This method of connecting bee colonies requires certain skills from the beekeeper. A hive with a weak family should be gradually moved to a strong one - 1-2 meters in 3 days. Then it must be installed on an open hive of a strong family.

Previously, between the houses it is required to place a partition made of any wood. After 3 days, the insects adapt to the smell of another family. At this stage, the partition can be removed. It is recommended to do this in the evening.

Through newspaper

This method is used quite often in beekeeping. It is used when most of the honey plants have finished blooming, usually in mid or late September. To unite bee families in this way, you need to do the following:

1. Gradually move the hive containing the family to be moved.
2. Remove the queen from a weak colony. This is done 5 hours before the unification.
3. Treat the nests with an aromatic mixture. It can be filled with medicine to prevent varroatosis.
4. Place a newspaper on the frame of a strong family.
5. Set a body with a weak colony on top.

Insects will gradually gnaw through the paper, and its remains will be carried out of the hive. The time spent working together will be enough to adapt to the neighborhood.

Spraying

To improve the association of insects, it is recommended to sprinkle the combs with liquid sugar syrup. It is recommended to add odorous substances to it. After the association, the bees begin to actively lick the mass from each other. This allows their scents to blend together, helping to reduce aggression towards outsiders.

Through the gangway

To connect bee colonies in this way, it is recommended to move insect dwellings towards. At the same time, they need to be gradually turned over. To a hive with a strong family, you need to place a small piece of plywood on a slope.At the same time, he must reach the last cell. Before resettlement, the weakest need to remove their uterus. And it needs to be saved.

Then you can move on to resettlement. This will require a smoker. After the streets are filled with smoke, the hive must be closed and knocked on the walls. After a couple of minutes, the stream of bees will feel threatened and leave their original place.

When flying, you need to have time to sprinkle the insects on the gangway with a sweet sugar and fragrant solution. Thanks to this, both houses will acquire the same smell. If there are bees left in the hive, they need to be shaken off the gangway. As a result, they themselves will move to a new house. At the same time, insects cannot be rushed. This will cause them to leave the apiary.

Basic precautions

For the procedure to be successful, it is important to follow these rules:

• weak swarm to plant to strong;
• a sick family cannot be combined with a he althy one, so as not to spread the infection;
• individuals of different breeds cannot be placed in one house;
• it is forbidden to combine peace-loving bees with aggressive ones;
• when choosing a uterus, you need to give preference to a more productive individual - it needs to be placed under a cap for several days;
• work should be done in the evening - tired worker bees will accept strangers more calmly.

The colony to be settled must be well fed. This ensures that the host family will not consider new bees as thieves.

Tips & Tricks

To bring families together to the desired results, you should follow these rules:

• better to put families in a new odorless hive - this will help to conduct the procedure peacefully;
• required to leave only one queen in the new family;
• the procedure should be carried out in warm and dry weather;
• It is not recommended to mix representatives of different breeds.

Autumn association of bees is considered a difficult procedure. However, quite often there are situations when it is impossible to do without it. In order for the manipulation to be successful, it is important to choose the right method for its implementation. It is also important to follow the recommendations of experienced beekeepers.

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